By Stanley Onyekwere
Residents have been cautioned to take precautionary measures ahead of this year’s normal onset of rainfall expected by the 24th of May, in the Federal Capital Territory this year, following the seasonal climate prediction by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency.
The FCT Emergency Management Agency(FEMA), which gave this advice, said towards this end, it is set to embark on a joint assessment of flood prone areas and estates in the Territory to mitigate the impact of floods.
In a chat with newsmen in Abuja, the Director General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, said the assessment tour would involve key stakeholders including the Department of Development Control,Engineering Services Department and Estate Developers .
Noting that urban flooding was a major threat in the FCT, Idriss stressed that all identified infractions would be removed.
“No matter how big the structure is we will pull it down “.
According to him, Seasonal flooding in Lokogoma has reduced in the past three years, “because we removed obstructions to the flow of water. People went and built on the water ways,those structures will be pulled down”.
Describing this week’s flash flood in some parts of the Territory as a wake up call, the DG appealed to residents to adhere to the master plan and approved building codes, the FEMA boss urged residents to always use the 112 emergency toll free number in the event of any disaster.
